Madison is one of the two MPS schools that has a Planetarium where you can enjoy a multi-media adventure into space! Have a seat on the circular benches and watch “all of our stars” on the dome ceiling.
Programs run approximately 75 minutes. Times are: 9:00am, 10:30am and 12:00pm.
Schools can schedule field trips and get additional information through Milwaukee Recreation‘s Outdoor Education Office at 414-647-6050.
Traditional Program
Grades 2-5: Students will be introduced to the planets of our solar system through a slide show. Our instructor will help students identify some of the constellations visible in the night sky, and introduce some of the folklore involving the constellations.
Grades 6-8: Exploring the Universe – Topics will include: origin of our solar system, satellites of the planets in our solar system, types of stars, star magnitudes and phenomenon outside of our solar system.
Additional Programs
Are We Alone in the Universe? (Grades 2-8): How life began, and whether it exists elsewhere remains one of the most fascinating questions in all of science. In the vastness of space far beyond our own solar system we can rule out nothing. Astronomers have discovered, just within the past few years, that many stars have their own planets and that there are millions of other solar systems. Could some of these planets, orbiting other stars, harbor life-forms? Could there be any planets resembling Earth? As pointed out by Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, ‘absence of evidence wouldn’t be evidence of absence.’
Cosmic Catastrophes (Grades 4-8): The dinosaurs went extinct, will people? Probably not, but in a billion years things will really heat up, literally. What will happen to the planet Earth, sun and our solar system? Will our star explode? Did you know that an exploding star can give birth to new stars and planetary systems? Recent discoveries have given us new insight as to how we believe the earth, objects in space and even space itself will come to an end. We’ll discuss black holes, supernovas and galaxies smashing into each other.
Stories in the Sky (Grades 2-8): In the days before television and video games, before city lights obscured most of the stars, elders would tell stories of the constellations to their young. These stories not only entertained but taught them valuable lessons such as how to tell time, when a new season was approaching, and even how to find their way home at night. This practice has waned in a world with clocks, calendars, and GPS systems. Join us as we explore this time honored tradition of passing down lore filled with romance, monsters, morality and how to find your place in the world.